16 Players Who Must Step Up to Help Their Team Avoid an 0-2 Start to 2014

Week 1 of the 2014 NFL season is officially in the books, and 16 teams are 1-0 while the other 16 are 0-1 to begin the year. As always, Week 1 was full of surprises, as several good teams unexpectedly fell early and now look to avoid an 0-2 start.

Among the 16 teams with an 0-1 start, six of them appeared in the playoffs last year.

In this slideshow, we will look at all 16 teams and see which player must step up to help his team avoid running into an 0-2 record to kick off 2014.

Playoff Teams

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

As mentioned in the previous slide, six teams that played in the postseason last year dropped their season openers. Some were involved in close games, while others completely struggled.

All six of these teams want to repeat the success they had last year and return to the postseason.

Green Bay Packers: RB Eddie Lacy

Scott Eklund/Associated Press

Green Bay could never get its running game going, as the team finished with an average of three yards per carry in its first game. Toward the end of Thursday’s loss against Seattle, Lacy suffered a concussion and left the game early. But he isn’t expected to miss a lot of time.

Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reports that Lacy is not expected to be out for an extended period of time. Mike McCarthy announced on Friday that Lacy cleared the first step of concussion protocol.

At the moment, Lacy is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Jets. After running the ball 12 times for 34 yards, Lacy will help make the Packers a multi-dimensional team on Sunday. If Lacy is unavailable, the team may look to running back James Starks for help.

Indianapolis Colts: RB Trent Richardson

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Trent Richardson had a 3.3-yard-per-carry average against the Denver Broncos, which is an exact image of his career average. Quarterback Andrew Luck carried the team and was responsible for all three touchdowns in the comeback attempt against the Broncos after being down 24-0.

The Colts, who acquired Richardson early in the 2013 season from the Browns, weren’t pleased with his 2.9 average while in Indianapolis.

The Colts will face the Eagles, who held the Jaguars to 64 rushing yards last week. The Colts ran the ball only 14 times due to the fact that they were down by a significant margin.

If they can maintain a big lead or keep it competitive, Richardson should expect more than six carries. The rest will be up to him to help the Colts.

Kansas City Chiefs: RB Jamaal Charles

USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City head coach Andy Reid admits he was negligent in giving Jamaal Charles only seven carries. But like the rest of the Chiefs, Charles struggled against the Titans anytime he had the ball in his hands.

Charles ran seven times for 19 yards with barely any opportunity to break free for a big run, his longest being only six yards. Last year, Charles was the only reliable offensive weapon, as he was responsible for 37 percent of the team's offensive production.

Assuming Reid does not make the same mistake twice, Charles will need to do better. In fact, the team needs him to do better, as they face a high-powered offense in Denver.

New England Patriots: LT Nate Solder

Winslow Townson/Getty Images

It wasn't a pretty day for Tom Brady after completing 52 percent of his passes and taking four sacks from Miami's defense. Left tackle Nate Solder allowed two of those sacks and committed a holding penalty.

Brady's jersey was kept clean all throughout the first half, and the Patriots went into halftime with a 20-10 lead. But New England was shut out in the second half, as all four of Brady's sacks occurred then.

The Patriots find themselves in an unusual situation: all alone in last place in the AFC East. A successful offense always starts up front with the line. Solder and the rest of the blockers must have a better showing against the Minnesota Vikings.

New Orleans Saints: CB Patrick Robinson

USA TODAY Sports

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan had no problems connecting with wide receiver Julio Jones. The two hooked up seven times for 116 yards and almost a touchdown, but Jairus Byrd forced a fumble to prevent the score.

But it was a rough outing for Patrick Robinson, who had no answer in covering Jones. The Falcons also matched Devin Hester against Robinson, using his speed to his advantage, as he was able to finish with 99 yards off five receptions.

Robinson will need to do better on defense and will have a chance to do so when he goes up against Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins.

San Diego Chargers: CB Shareece Wright

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Shareece Wright had an up-and-down game on Monday Night Football against the Arizona Cardinals. Michael Floyd beat Wright on a 63-yard catch early in the game.

Wright played well for most of the night, as the Chargers eventually took a 17-6 lead. Wright struggled a little bit late in the game during Arizona’s rally, though, and will need to be more consistent if he wants to find success against Seattle.

Non-Playoff Teams

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

Now that the teams who made the 2013-14 postseason are out of the way, it is time to dive into the other 10 teams and see which player needs to make an impact after a quiet first week.

Baltimore Ravens: QB Joe Flacco

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Joe Flacco overcame a slow start to finish 35 of 62 passes for 345 yards, one touchdown and one interception. But the slow start cost the Baltimore Ravens.

The Bengals took a 15-0 lead, all field goals, going into halftime. The Ravens had three quick drives early in the first half, going three and out on two drives and turning the ball over on a fumble during a one-play drive.

The Baltimore defense did a good job forcing five field goals and allowing only one touchdown, but the offense did not get into a rhythm until the second half.

The Ravens face a Steelers team that went through something similar in Week 1 in the first half. If Flacco can play with consistency while leading the offense, the Ravens should pick up their first win on Thursday.

Chicago Bears: SS Chris Conte

USA TODAY Sports

Statistically, safety Chris Conte had a good game, tying first with seven tackles on the team and collecting the team's only interception. But there was one big moment when he could have made a play but struggled to get a tackle.

When Bills running back Fred Jackson attacked the left side, Conte had a chance to bring him down sooner but couldn't, and Jackson pushed forward to the 1-yard line.

Conte will need to be more effective in moments when an easy tackle opportunity presents itself during close situations.

Cleveland Browns: CB Joe Haden

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Joe Haden had an impressive Pro Bowl season last year, during which he picked off four passes and punched his first Pro Bowl ticket. But he was the opposite on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While working against Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, Haden was torched multiple times, and Ben Roethlisberger was able to comfortably throw to Brown.

The Browns gave the Steelers a run for their money. Had Haden played a little bit better, they could have pulled off an upset in Pittsburgh.

Haden has a big challenge this week when the Browns face a high-powered offense in the Saints. But Haden has proven he can defend some of the best receivers—hence his Pro Bowl bid last season—and will need to come through this week.

Dallas Cowboys: QB Tony Romo

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Tony Romo has been the most criticized Dallas Cowboys player over the past few years, and rightfully so this week. Even with tight end Jason Witten and wide receiver Dez Bryant on his team, he couldn't get the offense into a rhythm. He finished with three interceptions and one touchdown, which came late when the game was already decided.

The Titans came off an impressive game, shutting down an offense that sent a quarterback and running back to the Pro Bowl in the Chiefs. If Romo can't respond in Week 2 against Tennessee, the Cowboys could be in for a repeat of their opening performance.

Jacksonville Jaguars: QB Chad Henne

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Chad Henne had an impressive start against the Eagles but was quickly shut down after surging out to a 17-0 lead. He had the hot hand, as he went 6-of-9 passing for 115 yards and two touchdowns.

After taking a big lead with 14:14 to go in the second quarter, Henne did not make a lot of noise for the remainder of the game.

Following the 14:14 mark in the second quarter, Henne went 18-of-34 and threw for 151 yards and no touchdowns. The Jaguars were shut out the rest of the game.

If Henne can turn his first quarter success into four quarters, the Jaguars should top the Redskins.

New York Giants: QB Eli Manning

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Football players never want to play poorly, especially on a national stage on Monday Night Football. But the mishaps for Eli Manning continue.

He completed just 54 percent of his throws and threw two interceptions. He received minimal ground support, too, as New York's rushing attack was non-existent.

If Manning can't turn it around against the Cardinals this week, it could be a long season for New York.

Oakland Raiders: RBs Darren McFadden And/or Maurice Jones Drew

Ben Margot/Associated Press

The slideshow title says 16 players, but I decided to sneak in a possible extra option, depending on how things go with the Raiders.

Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew averaged two yards per carry together. Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson needs his running backs to be more productive. Rookie quarterback Derek Carr did his job with the limited talent around him, but the Raiders don't have a balanced offense and need one when they return home to play the Texans.

St. Louis Rams: WR/PR Tavon Austin

L.G. Patterson/Associated Press

Tavon Austin was nearly a no-show in Week 1 for the Rams. In fact, Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson did what a lot of people thought Austin could do in the Vikings' blowout of the Rams.

Whether it was running, catching or returning punts, Austin was brought down immediately. The speedy West Virginia product knows better than anyone that he is capable of doing more than what he's done so far, and he looks to build into a better player in his second year and has a chance to show that against Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Leonard Johnson

USA TODAY Sports

Leonard Johnson needs to be better-prepared for receivers, as does the rest of the secondary for Tampa Bay.

Two Panthers receivers went off for at least six catches, 80 yards and a touchdown.

Johnson was responsible for a lot of Carolina's success. The good news: St. Louis is very thin in the passing game, giving Johnson a perfect chance to recover and rebound.

Washington Redskins: QB Robert Griffin III

USA TODAY Sports

It is no secret that Robert Griffin III needs to have a better year with the Washington Redskins. The franchise traded away three first-round picks and a second-round pick to get the No. 2 overall pick in 2012 so as to acquire him.

Since his rookie season, he has declined and led the Redskins to only one touchdown drive this past week. If he can't get the offense going against Jacksonville, Kirk Cousins might soon trade his clipboard for a starting job.

Follow @Farzin21